Xu Lingqing hesitated.
"If the Eighth Princess Consort is worried, why not have the Sixth Prince guard outside?" said Madam Song.
Xuan Yuanming agreed without hesitation and stepped forward to support Xu Lingqing: "Sister Qing, I'll go with you. Let's see who dares to bully you."
"Alright."
The two of them left.
Madam Song glanced indifferently at Zhao Zhiyan, who was sitting at the banquet. She saw that his face was ashen, and he was gripping a glass of wine tightly in his hand, his fingertips turning white from the pressure.
His wife was taken away by another man in public, and he, as her husband, couldn't do anything about it.
What a coward!
After Xu Lingqing changed her clothes, Xuan Yuanming looked at her and saw that she was dressed in a drab gray, and the fabric of her clothes was too old. Unlike the ladies and young women in the room, who were all bright and beautiful, with hairpins around their heads.
"Sister Qing, you're too plain." Xuan Yuanming frowned. "You're supposed to be the Eighth Prince's Consort, how can you be looked down upon like this?"
Xu Lingqing looked embarrassed and blinked at Xuan Yuanming with a wronged expression.
Xuan Yuanming realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly apologized, "Sister Qing, I, I didn't mean that, please don't take it to heart."
Only after Xuan Yuanming apologized did Xu Lingqing stop crying and start smiling.
"Sister Qing, you wait!"
To apologize to Xu Lingqing, Xuanyuan Ming turned and left. After a long while, he ordered someone to bring over a new set of crimson Shu brocade long dress embroidered with large peony flowers, along with a set of gold headdresses, which were heavy and obviously very valuable.
“This…” Xu Lingqing was surprised.
Xuanyuan Ming handed the items to the maid: "Sister Qing deserves the best. I will not allow Sister Qing to be looked down upon."
So, Xu Lingqing reluctantly changed her clothes again.
After changing her clothes and combing her hair again, she put on a complete set of headdress and jewelry, including six small phoenix hairpins, two pearl earrings, and a gold-inlaid mutton-fat jade necklace.
"Your Highness, the Sixth Prince is truly loyal to you," the maid said.
Xu Lingqing looked at herself in the mirror, raised her hand to touch the gorgeous jewelry in her hair, and smiled. She was glad that she had spent a lot of time in Japan to win over her brothers. Otherwise, she would not have such a powerful backer today.
After changing his clothes and going outside, Xuan Yuanming nodded in satisfaction: "Sister Qing truly deserves the best."
The two returned to the banquet, and everyone was stunned by Xu Lingqing's attire.
"This...isn't this the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix headdress that the Jewelry Pavilion recently launched? It's worth over ten thousand taels of silver. I only had the chance to see it once and couldn't bear to buy it. I never expected that it would actually be worn by the Eighth Prince's wife."
"I saw it at the jewelry store yesterday afternoon, so how come it's on the Eighth Princess's head today?"
"And that Shu brocade outfit, with peonies embroidered in gold thread, along with this set of jewelry, must cost at least 15,000 taels of silver."
The ladies were dazzled and exclaimed in amazement.
Xu Lingqing was extremely pleased, and a hint of arrogance appeared on her face.
"The Eighth Prince really dotes on his Eighth Princess. He buys such expensive clothes and jewelry without hesitation, just to make her smile. The Eighth Princess is truly blessed," Jiang Ying said with envy.
As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Lingqing's smile froze, and she glanced at Jiang Ying.
Jiang Ying was completely oblivious, preoccupied with admiring her clothes and jewelry, occasionally clicking her tongue and saying, "You really do get what you pay for. The jewelry store has immediately outshone us all."
"That's right."
The more people around him praised him, the gloomier Zhao Zhiyan's face became.
"Sorry I'm late, I'll punish myself with three drinks later."
A woman walked in from behind the door with a hearty laugh. When she saw Xu Lingqing, she said in surprise, "I went to the jewelry store just now, and the shopkeeper said I was a step too late. I didn't expect that it was bought by the Eighth Princess. The Eighth Princess is really generous."
Xu Lingqing looked sullen.
"Oh, wait a minute, the shopkeeper said a well-dressed man bought it, saying he wanted it for his wife. If it were the Eighth Prince, the shopkeeper wouldn't have failed to recognize him," the lady belatedly said.
"Madam Li, you're late, you should be punished!" Madam Song grabbed Madam Li who was speaking and shoved a cup of wine into her hand.
Madam Li drank it all in one gulp.
The atmosphere lightened, and no one mentioned the beautiful jewelry and expensive clothes again. Xu Lingqing sat down next to Zhao Zhiyan somewhat awkwardly.
"Your Highness, please don't misunderstand. Ming'er is young and was afraid that I would be wronged, so he bought me clothes. He also wanted to bring honor to our Eighth Prince's Mansion."
Zhao Zhiyan couldn't stand it any longer.
This is not a way to bring honor to the Eighth Prince's Mansion; it's a slap in the face to everyone, letting them know that he mistreated Xu Lingqing.
She couldn't even afford to buy herself a nice set of clothes; she had to rely on other men to buy them for her to afford them.
He gave Xu Lingqing a meaningful look.
"Is the Eighth Prince blaming me for meddling?" Xuan Yuanming leaned closer and pouted. "Sister Qing's clothes are too shabby. I really can't stand it. In Japan, Sister Qing wears fine silks and satins and has a whole trunk full of jewelry. She doesn't look like this now."
Zhao Zhiyan's anger was successfully provoked.
"Marrying you has already been unfair enough for Sister Qing."
"Ming'er, stop talking." Xu Lingqing gently tugged at Xuan Yuanming's sleeve, telling him to stop talking nonsense.
Zhao Zhiyan's lips curled into a sneer: "There are several large chests of clothes and jewelry belonging to her in the Prince's mansion, which may not be inferior to yours."
Xuan Yuanming scoffed, clearly not believing him. If it were as he said, why would Sister Qing be dressed in such tattered clothes?
“Actually, what Your Highness said is right. I have a lot of clothes and jewelry. Your Highness has never mistreated me.” Xu Lingqing shook her head secretly at Xuan Yuanming.
For the sake of Sister Qing, Xuan Yuanming pursed his lips and did not refute.
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